1
as in curious
interested in what is not one's own business
as we moved into our new home, we could sense that there were prying eyes watching us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in busy
thrusting oneself where one is not welcome or invited
prying neighbors who refuse to mind their own business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in questioning
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in pulling
to raise, move, or pull apart with or as if with a lever
it took some effort to pry up the trap door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in yanking
to draw out by force or with effort
a vain attempt to pry the cork out of a wine bottle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in interfering
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
don't go prying into other people's business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prying
Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin, oregonlive, 4 Feb. 2023
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying — and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2023
The Google Nest Hub (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great smart display with no camera (and therefore no risk of unwanted prying eyes).
—Brenda Stolyar and Medea Giordano, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2022
To my mind, however, there’s a difference between a Google or a Facebook, which provide valuable services in return for their prying eyes, and an app that serves a single, ostensibly benign purpose — parking validation.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2021
Carry two phones While anti-spy software may be effective in staving off the prying eyes of the Chinese government, not everyone knows how to install it.
—Jane Li, Quartz, 6 Aug. 2019
Its purpose: to train librarians to implement secure protocols on their own web services, and to teach members of the community to evade the prying eyes of governments, corporations, and criminal hackers.
—Eoin O'Carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 2017
One reason Russians have loaded up on passports is that Cypriot citizenship helps them avoid the prying eyes of their government and pay lower taxes.
—Yalman Onaran, Bloomberg.com, 11 May 2017
Alan Bradley, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Palm Springs Has Still Got It This desert enclave has long been many things at once—a spa town, a sanctuary away from Hollywood's prying eyes, a design capital, a shoo-in for winter sun.
—Jason Sheeler, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
But in the quietest corner of the 10-acre sanctuary, away from the public’s prying eyes, a cohort of most unusual occupants sleep.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Videos of the shooting have spread online and appear to show Good, 37, being told to get out of her car, with one agent walking and prying at the door handle.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
That was what led the princess to send her staff away and sneak the BBC crew in for the interview, isolating herself in the face of Bashir’s prying questions.
—Theresa Braine, Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2025
The New Jersey native also teased some new music on the way after some prying from Hudson.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
The prying end also serves as a nail puller, box cutter and bottle opener.
—Ben Coxworth
october 07, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2025
The film stages its riot of activity as hard-nosed honesty, but its portrait is ultimately as ginned-up and inexact as the fictional news broadcast’s lurid prying.
—Richard Lawson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 28 May 2026
That doesn’t mean robbing Billy of his shot at prying open Homelander’s skull, but with only a symbolic solution to Trump’s authoritarian rise — love conquers all!
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
These evergreen or deciduous shrubs protect your garden oasis from prying eyes and create a sense of solitude.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 May 2026
There’s still all this nonsense about the temptation of the female body, and the need for nuns to shield themselves from prying eyes.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
Both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim often preferred to train a full session at Carrington on the morning of travelling for a European away, to avoid prying eyes at the hosts’ stadium.
—Mark Critchley, New York Times, 3 May 2026
The attendant and one of the passengers worked together at prying open the baggage compartment door while the other passenger crawled around the floor, searching in the thick smoke for a cellphone to try to use as a flashlight, according to the statement transcripts.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Reinforce your privacy fence by layering new fencing on top of existing fencing for an extra layer of protection that will help insulate your backyard from noise as well as prying eyes.
—Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 24 Apr. 2026
Most locks resist common workarounds, such as sawing, hammering or prying with a crowbar.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying -- and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin, oregonlive, 4 Feb. 2023
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying — and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2023
The Google Nest Hub (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great smart display with no camera (and therefore no risk of unwanted prying eyes).
—Brenda Stolyar and Medea Giordano, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2022
To my mind, however, there’s a difference between a Google or a Facebook, which provide valuable services in return for their prying eyes, and an app that serves a single, ostensibly benign purpose — parking validation.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2021
Carry two phones While anti-spy software may be effective in staving off the prying eyes of the Chinese government, not everyone knows how to install it.
—Jane Li, Quartz, 6 Aug. 2019
Its purpose: to train librarians to implement secure protocols on their own web services, and to teach members of the community to evade the prying eyes of governments, corporations, and criminal hackers.
—Eoin O'Carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Oct. 2017
One reason Russians have loaded up on passports is that Cypriot citizenship helps them avoid the prying eyes of their government and pay lower taxes.
—Yalman Onaran, Bloomberg.com, 11 May 2017
Noun
With that said, the game has managed to rack up an impressive five million sales in under a month, developing a dedicated fanbase that's been probing and prying at the game's engine, with delightful and sometimes unexpected results.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2026
Palm Springs Has Still Got It This desert enclave has long been many things at once—a spa town, a sanctuary away from Hollywood's prying eyes, a design capital, a shoo-in for winter sun.
—Jason Sheeler, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
But in the quietest corner of the 10-acre sanctuary, away from the public’s prying eyes, a cohort of most unusual occupants sleep.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Videos of the shooting have spread online and appear to show Good, 37, being told to get out of her car, with one agent walking and prying at the door handle.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
That was what led the princess to send her staff away and sneak the BBC crew in for the interview, isolating herself in the face of Bashir’s prying questions.
—Theresa Braine, Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2025
The New Jersey native also teased some new music on the way after some prying from Hudson.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 28 Oct. 2025
The prying end also serves as a nail puller, box cutter and bottle opener.
—Ben Coxworth
october 07, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2025
The film stages its riot of activity as hard-nosed honesty, but its portrait is ultimately as ginned-up and inexact as the fictional news broadcast’s lurid prying.
—Richard Lawson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
Its Duplicate Finder clears clutter, advanced renaming options make your files easy to track, and military-grade encryption protects everything from prying eyes.
—Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 28 May 2026
That doesn’t mean robbing Billy of his shot at prying open Homelander’s skull, but with only a symbolic solution to Trump’s authoritarian rise — love conquers all!
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
These evergreen or deciduous shrubs protect your garden oasis from prying eyes and create a sense of solitude.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 May 2026
There’s still all this nonsense about the temptation of the female body, and the need for nuns to shield themselves from prying eyes.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
Both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim often preferred to train a full session at Carrington on the morning of travelling for a European away, to avoid prying eyes at the hosts’ stadium.
—Mark Critchley, New York Times, 3 May 2026
The attendant and one of the passengers worked together at prying open the baggage compartment door while the other passenger crawled around the floor, searching in the thick smoke for a cellphone to try to use as a flashlight, according to the statement transcripts.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Reinforce your privacy fence by layering new fencing on top of existing fencing for an extra layer of protection that will help insulate your backyard from noise as well as prying eyes.
—Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 24 Apr. 2026
Most locks resist common workarounds, such as sawing, hammering or prying with a crowbar.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prying
Adjective
-
Wrapped around the main lobby is a small arcade of curious boutiques selling everything from designer clothes and jewelry to Cuban cigars.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Brief endnotes are included for extra-curious readers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
But he's benefited from his busy daily workload and a lifetime of abstinence from tobacco and alcohol, said his physician, Sean Barbabella.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
-
That could have included a certain population size within three miles, a certain demographic target nearby, a maximum of 2,500 square feet on a single floor, located on a busy intersection, with a minimum number of locations per market, etc.—
George Deeb,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
During police questioning, Scelfo admitted to threatening to kill the officer and his family, according to the complaint.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
1 June 2026
-
The officer initially admitted the man was unarmed, but his lawyer stopped all questioning.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Some families are pulling back on travel as gas and groceries get more expensive worldwide.—
Anton L. Delgado,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
Down 3-0, the notion of the Padres pulling this one out seemed outdated.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
The lifeguard pursued me in a gray metal dinghy with a bullhorn, ordering me out of the water and yanking me up over the side of his boat.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
-
Essentially, yanking gravity away is another tool, just like temperature or pressure, that drug manufacturers can apply to improve their products.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The game was not yet codified, and teachers let students organize games without interfering in their play.—
Thomas Adam,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
-
She was sentenced — correctly — for interfering in an election in her county and for allowing unauthorized access to the voting equipment, not for expressing her personal opinion.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Izabella, who also goes by Izzy, is a wonderful girl with an inquisitive, outgoing, and confident personality.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
-
In practice, this requires finance to be inquisitive beyond reporting numbers and invest in understanding the operation and the rigor required to change financial outcomes.—
Daniah Robertson,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
The branch consisted of two neighboring buildings that together constituted one of the main centers for interrogation and detention.—
Amer Matar,
The Dial,
26 May 2026
-
Saunders’ interrogation of Tolstoy’s Master and Man is filled with urgent physical life, including, in a stunning denouement, the death of one man on top of another.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prying. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
